Palak Mushroom
Palak Mushroom is a healthy and delicious dish of sauteed button mushrooms and aromatics in a creamy spinach sauce. Loaded with the goodness of spinach and mushrooms you are sure to like this dish. Make it for a hearty weekend lunch or dinner to mop it with some soft roti, crispy paratha or enjoy it with fragrant cumin rice.
Leafy spinach and earthy mushrooms pair very well in most dishes. I try to add both of them while making pasta, noodles, soups etc.
Palak mushroom can be made in various ways. My recipe of palak mushroom is a variant of the popular Palak Paneer. You can say it is like having Palak Paneer with the paneer replaced with button mushrooms.
This is an easy flavorful recipe that tastes good. You will need to blanch the spinach and make the puree. You can also use frozen spinach or baby spinach to make this recipe.
I love to include greens in my diet. Fenugreek, spinach and amaranth are my favorite greens to experiment. I try various combinations of these greens like:
If you want to make a vegan version of palak mushroom then either omit the cream or add coconut cream. With coconut cream the taste and flavor will change. But it will still be delicious.
This palak mushroom goes well with rotis, naan, paratha or steamed basmati rice. Here I served with palak mushroom with homemade whole wheat naan.
How to make Palak Mushroom
1. Rinse the palak or spinach leaves (250 grams) very well in running water using a colander or strainer. Drain all the water.
Just chop the leaves roughly and keep them aside. 250 grams spinach gives about 5 cups of roughly chopped spinach.
Ensure that you are using fresh and tender leaves. If the stems are stringy or fibrous then don’t use them. However, if the stems are tender then you can use them.
2. Boil 3 cups of water in a pan or microwave or electric heater. If using an electric heater, then pour the hot water into a bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon salt to the hot water and stir.
3. Then add the spinach leaves into the hot water. Close with a lid and let the spinach leaves sit in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the leaves and set aside.
4. Immediately add the strained spinach leaves to a bowl containing cold water. To get cold water add 8 to 10 ice cubes in 3 cups of water. Allow the spinach leaves to be in the cold water for a minute or two. Then strain the leaves again.
5. Now add the spinach leaves in a blender or grinder along with 1 roughly chopped green chili, 1 inch ginger (chopped) and 1 or 2 garlic cloves (chopped).
6. Blend to a smooth puree. No need to add water while blending. Keep the spinach puree aside.
Making palak mushroom
7. In a pan or kadai or wok heat 2 tablespoons of oil. You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
Then add the following whole spices and saute for some seconds till the spices become fragrant.
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 black cardamom
8. Then add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
9. Saute stirring often till the onions start becoming golden.
10. Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic. Saute for some seconds or till their raw aroma goes away.
11. Now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
12. Saute the tomatoes stirring often till they soften completely and you see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture. Takes about 2 to 3 minutes on low to medium heat.
13. Add 2 cups chopped or sliced button mushrooms.
14. Stir and mix them well.
15. When sauteing the mushrooms, in the beginning, you will see them releasing a lot of water.
16. Continue to saute till all the water dries up and the mushrooms start turning light golden around the edges.
17. Add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Stir and mix again.
If you don’t have kasuri methi then skip adding it.
18. Next add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
19. Stir and mix very well again so that the ground spices get incorporated evenly in the mushroom mixture.
20. Add the spinach puree.
21. Stir and mix again.
22. Now add ⅔ to ¾ cup water. You can adjust the amount of water as required depending upon the consistency you want in the dish.
23. Season with salt as required.
24. Stir and bring the curry to a simmer on low to medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes.
25. Now add 2 to 3 tablespoons of light or low-fat cream. If using heavy whipping cream add 1 to 2 tablespoons.
26. Stir the gravy very well so that the cream is mixed evenly in it and then switch off the heat. Check the taste and add more salt or garam masala powder if required.
27. Serve palak mushroom hot or warm with some roti, naan, tandoori roti, paratha or with rice dishes like steamed basmati rice, Jeera Rice, biryani rice or Veg Pulao.
It makes for a healthy meal when served with a side of roti or brown rice.
More tasty Spinach Recipes
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For spinach puree
- 250 grams palak or 5 cups roughly chopped spinach
- 1 green chili – roughly chopped
- 1 inch ginger – roughly chopped
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves – roughly chopped
Other ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams mushrooms or 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 medium onion or ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 medium tomato or ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- ½ inch ginger – finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 to 3 garlic – finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed (dry fenugreek leaves)
- ⅔ to ¾ cup water or add as required
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoon cream
- salt as required
Whole spices
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 black cardamom
Instructions
Making spinach puree
- Rinse the palak or spinach leaves (250 grams) very well in running water using a colander or strainer. Drain all the water.
- Just chop the leaves roughly and keep them aside. 250 grams spinach gives about 5 cups of roughly chopped spinach. Ensure that you are using fresh and tender leaves.
- Boil 3 cups water in a pan or microwave or electric heater. If using an electric heater, then pour the hot water in a bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon salt to the hot water and stir.
- Then add the spinach leaves in the hot water. Close with a lid and let the spinach leaves sit in the water for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Strain the spinach leaves. Keep the stock aside as we can use later. Immediately add the strained spinach leaves in a bowl containing cold water. Water in which some ice cubes are added. Just add 8 to 10 ice cubes to 3 cups water to get cold water. Allow the spinach leaves to be in the cold water for a minute or two.
- Now add the spinach leaves in a blender or grinder along with green chili, ginger and garlic.
- Blend to a smooth puree. No need to add water while blending. Keep the puree aside.
Making palak mushroom
- In a pan or kadai or wok heat any neutral-flavored oil. Then add the whole spices – cumin seeds, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, tej patta and black cardamom. Saute for some seconds till the spices become fragrant.
- Then add onions. Saute stirring often till the onions start becoming golden.
- Then add ginger and garlic. Saute for some seconds or till their raw aroma goes away.
- Now add tomatoes and saute them stirring often till they soften completely and you see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture. Takes about 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium heat.
- Add mushrooms. Stir and mix them well.
- When sauteing the mushrooms, in the beginning, you will see them releasing a lot of water.
- Continue to saute till all the water dries up and the mushrooms start turning light golden around the edges.
- Add kasuri methi which has been crushed. Stir.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.
- Stir and mix very well again so that the spices get incorporated evenly in the mushroom mixture.
- Add the spinach puree. Stir again.
- Now add water. You can adjust the amount of water as required. Season with salt as required.
- Stir and bring the curry to a simmer on a low to medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Now add light or low fat cream. If using heavy whipping cream then reduce the quantity to approximately half.
- Stir the gravy very well so that the cream is mixed evenly in it and then switch off the flame. Check the taste and add more salt or red chili powder or garam masala powder if required.
- Serve palak mushroom hot or warm with some roti, paratha, naan bread, tandoori rotis, steamed rice, cumin rice or veg pulao.
Notes
- Use fresh, tender spinach leaves.
- You can also make it with baby spinach or frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach then remember to thaw it completely, squeeze all the water from it and then blend with the other ingredients. You don’t need to blanch if using frozen spinach.
- You can keep the consistency of the gravy according to your requirements.
- To make a vegan version you can use coconut cream or skip adding the cream. You can also add some tofu to the recipe.
- This recipe works with white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms.
- The recipe can be scaled to make a small or a big batch as per your family’s requirements.
- If you don’t have kasuri methi then you can skip adding it.
Nutrition
This Palak Mushroom post from the archives (July 2013) has been republished and updated on 27 September 2021.
Hi Dassana, I’d love to try this recipe. Is it ok to use methi along with palak?
If yes, what is a good ratio between them? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sneha, yes, you can definitely add methi along with palak. It add a nice earthy flavor. Since this recipe uses 250 grams or (about 5 cups) of roughly chopped palak, you can add around ¾ to 1 cup of chopped methi leaves. This keeps the balance right without letting the methi turn the dish bitter. Hope you enjoy making it.
Palak Mushroom was excellent. I have tried many recipes from vegrecipesofindia and loved them all. Apart from taste, what appeals is that all recipes have easily available ingredients and the detailed instructions. Thank you vegrecipesofidia.
Thank you Meera. Glad to read your comment. Happy cooking.
I need yr receipes
neena which recipes are you looking for? thanks.
Hi.i tired this recipe today..turned out yum..thank you ..????